A mother’s daily list of “to do” items is
seemingly endless, but there is one essential item that should top the others when a mother
prioritizes her day: making time for prayer. To this end, author and mother of five Donna-Marie
Cooper O’Boyle has given both a gift and a “secret weapon” to mothers of every age
with her new Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers (Our Sunday Visitor, September 2005, hardcover, 64
pages).

In our ever busier world, many mothers feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and at
times separated from God. Cooper O’Boyle understands – and for this reason she took the
time to write and compile a book for any woman looking to embrace and blossom in her role as
“heart of the home”. “Feeling compelled to help all mothers, drawing from my own
spiritual experiences during my vocation of motherhood and spiritual lessons learned from Mother
Teresa, I decided to write this book,” shares Donna-Marie. She recognizes prayer both as a
tool mothers need to embrace in order to have success and be fruitful in their vocation, and as a
gift they will ultimately teach and pass along to their families.

Catholic Prayer Book
for Mothers is diminutive enough in size to fit into a small handbag but superior enough in
substance to change a mother’s life. Every facet of the book, from its lovely design to its
unique combination of both original and traditional prayer, combines to provide a book that is both
inspirational and heartwarming.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle about her book, the difficulties some mothers have in maintaining
an active prayer life and her relationship with one of her role models, Blessed Teresa of
Calcutta.

Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your family.

A: I am married with 5 children ranging in ages from 14 to 29. I was born and raised in
Connecticut as one of 8 children in a Catholic family. My mother taught me about prayer and the
Rosary from a young age. I love children, the elderly, art, nature, and writing, of course. I feel I
have a job to help inspire other mothers and help them realize the sublimity in their vocation as a
mother.

I am very active in my parish and have taught all levels of Religious Education
for over twenty years. I am a Lay Missionary of Charity in Mother Teresa's Order. I founded several
organizations, including "Marian Mothers" and "Friends of Veronica", an outreach
organization for the lonely or elderly.

I met Blessed Teresa of Calcutta almost 20 years
ago and was blessed with 22 letters from her. I was able to meet with her on 12 occasions, some
private audiences. She wrote two forewords for two of my manuscripts - one will be published in
2006, "Finding Sanctity in the Heart of the Home." Mother Teresa has given me much
encouragement in my writing for mothers. (Some quotes from her about this are at the beginning of my
book, Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers.

I have written several other manuscripts about
mothers, as well as children's manuscripts. I write for several publications including newspapers
and magazines as well as Catholic publications.

Q: Please briefly describe your
book.

A: My book is a compilation of original prayer and traditional prayer
along with inspiration for mothers of any age and stage throughout their pilgrimage of motherhood.
It is suitable for mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, stepmothers and adoptive mothers. It is
sprinkled with quotes from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II, as well as the saints. It
is filled with advice and guidance for a mother on the necessity of prayer so essential for the
survival of the family and how to incorporate more prayer into such a busy life. This book was
encouraged by Mother Teresa and given an apostolic blessing from Pope John Paul II.

Q: Why do mothers need a solid prayer life to help them in their vocation?

A: Mothers are responsible for the little souls they bring into the world and therefore must
be prayerful to raise them properly, with love and holiness. The vocation of motherhood is an
extremely sublime mission in partnership with God Himself. Prayer is so very essential for the
survival of the family, especially in our day and age. A mother's prayer life is really the crux and
heart of her role.

Q: What tips do you have for mothers who may not have an
active prayer life, or may be going through a period of spiritual "dryness"?

A: It's never too late to develop a prayer life. Because prayer is necessary for the
survival of the family for many reasons, mothers should do their best to incorporate more prayer
into their lives. The thought of trying to add prayer to an already busy life need not be daunting.
Our Lord will accept our prayer in bits and pieces. Mothers need to offer Jesus their hearts and all
of their motherly acts of service throughout their days. She will then have made her very life a
prayer, very pleasing to our Lord. After all, it is the Lord who has put Moms right in the heart of
the family where they do the most amazing work in the rearing of their family and with such love
that only a mother possesses.

At spiritually dry times, a mother should lift her heart to
Heaven even more often, even when it is so difficult. She will be rewarded for her efforts. She
needs to remember and ask our Lord often to be reminded that He will never abandon us! He is with us
always and blesses us in our role as mother. Offer your days to the Lord in faith, while mothering
your family. Our Lord will never turn his ear from a faithful mother. And at these especially
difficult times, our Lord is merely preparing us for a more intimate and blessed union with Him. We
must never give up on hope.

Q: What elements of your own prayer life do you most
rely upon?

A: I rely on my faith in God and His promises to me, especially in
the Beatitudes, the paradoxical promises that sustain our hope in the midst of any suffering or
sacrifice, that pronounce the rewards that are already waiting for us. I also rely upon the message
in the Gospel of Matthew 25:34-46 which was one of Mother Teresa's favorite Scriptures and drove her
to care for the poorest of the poor. "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I
was thirsty and you gave me drink..." We are comforted knowing that as mothers, we are living
out the Gospel in the care of our family.

Q: How can mothers help the other
members of our families learn and appreciate the importance of prayer?

A:
Mothers can and should teach prayer to her children when they are very young so that it will become
to them as natural as breathing. Praying in your child's presence as they are growing teaches them
that prayer is really a part of daily life. Turning to prayer with them in times of need and times
of thanksgiving teaches them that prayer is a very necessary part of our lives. Trips to the Blessed
Sacrament with our children to visit Jesus who is waiting there for us, teaches our children a
practice, that hopefully they will carry out on their own when they are older. They will know that
when they are able, they can retreat to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for grace and strength and at
the times when they cannot, they will lift their heart to our Lord in prayer.

Q:
Who are some of your mothering role models?

A: My own mother and grandmother who
were very prayerful are great role models for me. My mother prayed the Rosary with all of us 8
children. She lit a candle before a statue of the Blessed Mother and we knelt and prayed the Rosary.
The Blessed Mother, of course is a magnificent role model for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (I
still refer to as Mother Teresa) remains a great role model for me and one I call upon often for
assistance!

For additional information on Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle visit her web
site at http://www.donnacooperoboyle.com. For more
information on the Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers visit Amazon.

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